Linda Urban
Communications Home
Exploring Technical Communication
Note: Specific weekly topics and assignments are subject to
change throughout the course. Last updated 11/18/04, for Fall 2004 session at UC Santa Cruz Extension.
| Course Location: |
UC Santa Cruz Extension, Cupertino facility |
| Quarter: |
Fall 2004 |
| Meetings: |
2 Saturdays and 1 Sunday, 9am to 5 pm |
| Dates: |
November 6, 14, and 20, 2004 |
| Instructor: |
Linda Urban (email: lurban@earthlink.net) |
Course Overview
This survey class provides an introduction to the field of technical communication. This is an interactive class. Material is presented and discussed in class, and individual and team excercises give students a chance to experience technical writing and the documentation process. Short assignments are assigned as homework between classes to reinforce key points.
See the outline below for topics covered in each session.
Course Requirements
Top
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, actively participate
in class discussions and exercises, and complete and submit written assignments
on due dates. If you must miss a class, you may complete a challenge assignment to make up the missed material. Contact the instructor to discuss this option.
Course Outline and Class Assignments
Top
Week 1: Course Overview (November 6, 2004)
Morning Topics
- Class introduction and syllabus review
- Instructor and student introductions
- What is technical communication?
- What does a technical communicator do all day?
- Looking at types of technical communication documents.
- Exercise: Identifying appropriate types of documents
Afternoon Topics
- Procedures
- Exercise: Writing a procedure
- Building blocks and structure
- Writing and editing
- Exercises: Correcting sentences
- Formatting information: more than how it looks
Readings and assignments due week
2
- Find a document you think is excellent and bring it in.
Be prepared to discuss:
- What do you like about it?
- Why is it a good example?
- Find a document you think is poor and bring it in.
Be prepared to discuss:
- One of the following exercises in your handouts:
- Optional: More writing exercises
Week 2. Tools and Technologies, Process and Planning (November
14, 2004)
Morning Topics
- Tools often used by technical communicators
Demos
- How technical is technical? (Domains)
- How technical do you need to be?
- Guest speaker: Student recently transitioned into work.
- Required experience: expectations an employer will have
Afternoon Topics
- Product development process
- Where documentation products fit into the development process
- Documentation cycle
- Documentation planning
Readings and assignments due week 3
- Send by email or bring your resume, or a list of your technical-communication
related skills and experience
- Draft an Information plan
(more detail to provided at class)
Week 3. Methodologies; Career Directions (November 20, 2004)
Topics
- Methodologies: Different ways of doing things
- User-centered design and usability
- Personal and interpersonal skills
- The importance of flexibility: What to do when...
- Guest speaker: a hiring perspective
- Where to go from here? Career directions and planning next steps.